Light-shielding grid



M. H. KRueER LIGHT-SHIELDING GRID Sept. 30, 1958 Filed May 25, 1953 BY if; ATTORNEY LIGHT-SHIELDING GRID Michael Henry Kruger, Chestnut Hill, Mass., assignor to j A. L. Smith Iron Company, Chelsea, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 25, 1953, Serial No. 357,191

4 Claims. (Cl. 189-82) This invention relates to a device for shielding the light or diffusing the light from a light source.

Among the objects of the present invention, it is aimed to provide an improved device for shielding the light or diffusing the light from the light source of a lighting fixture which can be assembled in the field to cover any number of various areas or designs of areas irrespective of size.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved light-shielding grid characterized by a construction in which the adjacent ends of the intersecting slats of a grid are joined to posts to enable assembly in the field to satisfy any number of various areas or designs of areas, irrespective of size.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the present invention will appear from the subjoined detailed description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a grid or egg crate louver made according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged scale perspective of a part of the grid shown in Fig. 1, and shows one of the grid elements ready to be assembled.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental plan view of the part shown in Fig. 2, but shows all of the elements assembled.

Fig. 4 is a section substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4, but with the locking ring in locking position of four of the slats instead of only locking three of the slats as shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 6 but showing a sectional locking ring instead of a single, split locking ring.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, the grid is illustrated as composed of a plurality of slats or strips 1 composed as an instance of metal or the like which have transversely extending parallel slots 2 formed along the ends thereof, as an instance by milling. In addition to the slats or strips 1 there are provided only two other structural elements, such as the cylindrical posts 3 and the locking rings 4.

The posts 3 may be composed of an extruded metal or plastic tube, each post having a plurality of parallel keyways 5, preferably bayonet shape in cross section. In addition, intermediate the ends of each post 5 there is provided an annular recess 6 receding inwardly from the outer face 7 of each post 3 which intersects the several keyways 5 of each post 3.

The slats or strips 1 in turn are provided with intermediate recesses 8 spaced from top and bottom of each slat 1 to correspond to the position of the annular recess 6 so that a split ring, as an instance the ring 4, may be snapped into the recess 6 before the slats 1 are mounted on the post 3, and then the ring 4 rotated along the annular recess 6 successively to receive each slat 1 in the space between the edges 9 and 10 of the ring 4, see Fig. 2, where three slats 1 have been positioned and the ring 4 is positioned in the annular recess 6 with the edges 9 and 10 registering with one of the keyways 5 to receive the last slat 1 not yet positioned.

After all of the slats 1 have been anchored in their respective keyways 5 and the ring 4 rotated so that its separation will clear each of the keyways 5, the ring 4 is then positioned so that its separation between the edges 9 and 10 will clear the threaded hole 11, see Figs. 5 and 6, to receive a locking means, such as the screw 12.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7, instead of a single split ring 4, two arcuate sections 13 and 14 are provided, which when placed in the recess 6, will similarly permit clearing the screw 12 between two opposing ends 15 and 16 of the sections 13 and 14, respectively.

Obviously the intermediate annular recess 6 need not be equispaced between the upper and lower edges of its associated post 3, and various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. The combination of a post, for a grid or the like, a plurality of keyways extending inward from the outer face of said post, the keyways of said post being parallel to one another and spaced from one another, there being an annular recess intersecting all of the keyways of said post and extending inward from the outer face of, and intermediate the ends of, said post, and a plurality of slats, each slat having a slot extending from its side face and adjacent each of its ends, the slots of each slat extending parallel to one another, there being an intermediate recess extending inward from each end of a slat and intersecting the slot adjacent such end, and a split ring positioned in said annular recess and the associated intermediate recesses of said slats, said split ring having its ends spaced a distance at least equal to the width of a keyway to enable receiving a slat when the space between the ends of the ring register with a keyway, the ring being angularly movable during assembly into position successively to insert said slats into said keyways and after assembly into position to enable the space between the ends of said ring to clear all of said keyways.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 characterized by a threaded hole in the annular recess of said post between two adjacent keyways, and a screw connected to said threaded hole, anchoring said ring in position.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the split ring is composed of one piece.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the split ring is composed of a plurality of sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 213,595 Thorp Mar. 25, 1879 470,066 March et a1. Mar. 1, 1892 563,529 Wilson July 7, 1896 1,036,240 Holden Aug. 20, 1912 1,113,678 Oechsle et a1. Get. 13, 1914 1,468,786 Knechtel Sept. 25, 1923 2,119,946 Bancroft June 7, 1938 2,211,586 Schwarz Aug. 13, 1940 2,577,119 Fitzgerald Dec. 4,1951 2,670,429 Tillson Feb. 23, 1954 

